OPINION – In light of the most recent events that has seen Wallaby and Waratah playmaker Kurtley Beale fined just $45,000 for his role in the saga that saw the premature end of two rather significant managerial careers within Australian Rugby, I have to say that from the bottom of my heart, I’m sorry.
Of course I have nothing personally to say sorry for. As a journalist and a completely disconnected entity from the ARU, I have watched on as the ticking time bomb within Australian Rugby who, had threatened to explode for quite some time, finally detonated. And since the fans of the Wallabies and Australian Rugby Union in general have received nothing but criticism from the ARU since the resignation of Di Patston and coach Ewen McKenzie, I feel you deserve a heartfelt apology.
To start with, I’d like to say sorry to the current and future Wallaby management team. How a future or incumbent ARU official can continue working under this current managerial and organizational structure as if nothing has happened is absolutely beyond me. When a team hasn’t been winning and is continually suffering disciplinary issues, the usual case is to sack the coach. However that isn’t particularly the norm in the business world and in this case, it has translated into a toxic organization.
When true events came to light, casting an enormous shadow over the inner workings of the ARU, it would have been honourable for the CEO to fall on his sword and acknowledge his ineptitude to allow this to happen to a national sporting team. Unfortunately for you, CEO Bill Pulver drastically turned the tables and evidently blamed everyone except himself and the ARU board. For events to unfold like they did and with the main culprit escaping with such a minimal punishment indicates a severe lack of managerial nous and a dangerous lack of knowledge in running a national sporting body. This brings me to my next apology.
Most of all, I’m sorry to the fans of the Wallabies. I’m sorry for the way the ARU handled the situation. The way in which your team was so ruthlessly leveraged by one player that saw the departure of your coach, one of the best tactical rugby thinkers to ever coach the Wallabies, is an absolute travesty. It needs to be served as a reminder for future Wallaby teams – no player is ever bigger than the team… or in this case, the organization.
People will compare it to the All Blacks’ recent handling of Aaron Cruden’s misdemeanor but the situation isn’t similar. New Zealand Rugby Union has a rock solid core and players are considered mere revolving satellites (unless their name is Sonny Bill Williams). Rugby Union is not Australia’s number one sporting code and the viability of the sport and the ruling body very much depends on the marketing division and crowd numbers. The statement the ARU made on Friday with Beale’s laughable punishment sets a dangerous precedent. But most of all, it embellishes the falsely guided ARU’s objectives of attracting crowds and sponsorship dollar, seemingly at the cost of team ethics and a ‘mateship’ morale. Effectively executing a business ethos in a sporting environment.
You deserve a lot better from your national rugby team